As a parent of a student attending Rhea County High School, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers who instruct your child. Federal law allows you to ask for certain information about your child’s classroom teachers, and requires us to give you this information in a timely manner if you ask for it.
Specifically, you have the right to ask for the following information about your child’s classroom teachers:
If you would like to receive any of this information, please call Jesse Messimer, Director of Schools at (423) 775-7813.
The Rhea County School System has a very informative web site (www.rheacounty.org) where you may find pertinent information concerning school board policies, calendar events, etc.
All Rhea County School Board meetings and workshops are open to the public. A proposed Board policy or policy change is submitted as part of the Board’s agenda. Any interested party will be given the opportunity to be heard on the proposal. Meetings/workshops are announced in the local newspaper, school calendars and newsletters.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Rhea County High School, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records.
However, Rhea County High School may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the school to the contrary in accordance with school procedures.
The primary purpose of directory information is to allow Rhea County High School to include this type of information from your child’s education records in certain school publications. Examples include:
Directory information which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks.
In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with three directory information categories—names, addresses, and telephone listings— unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent. [1]
Rhea County High School has designated the following information as directory information:
If you do not want Rhea County High School to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the school in writing by September of that current school year.
[1] These laws are: Section 9528 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7908), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110), the education bill, and 10 U.S.C. 503, as assembled by section 544, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (P.L. 107-107), the legislation that provides funding for the Nation’s Armed Forces.
A homeless individual is someone who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes anyone who, due to lack of housing lives:
Homeless students face multiple challenges and barriers to success in school. The Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program provides resources and technical assistance to ensure homeless students are enrolled in school and have the supports and resources necessary for success. If you have questions related to the education of homeless children and youth, or would like additional information, please contact:
Dedra Sims
Rhea County Dept. of Education
1385 Broadway Street
Dayton, TN 37321Phone: (423) 775-7863
Fax: (423) 775-7831
simsd@rheacounty.org
Rhea County Schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in programs and activities and complies with the provisions Titles II, VI, IX, Section 504, and the Age Discrimination Act. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies:
Dedra Sims
Titles II, VI, IX, and Age Discrimination Act
Rhea County Department of Education
Levengood Educational Center
1385 Broadway Street
Dayton, TN 37321
(423) 775-7813
Ray Fugate
504 Contact
Rhea County Department of Education
Levengood Educational Center
1385 Broadway Street
Dayton, TN 37321
(423) 775-7813
Under the Tennessee State Board of Education’s Unsafe School Choice Policy, any public school student who is the victim of a violent crime as defined under Tennessee Code Annotated 40-38-111(g), or the attempt to commit one of these offenses as defined under Tennessee Code Annotated 39-12-101, shall be provided an opportunity to transfer to another grade-level appropriate school within the district. Additional information regarding this option may be obtained by contacting Dedra Sims at (423) 775-7813.
Internet access is now available to students and teachers in the Rhea County System. We are very pleased to bring this access to the System and believe the Internet offers vast and unique resources to both students and teachers. Our goal in providing the service to teachers and students is to promote educational excellence in schools by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication.
The Internet is an electronic highway connecting thousands of computers all over the world and millions of individual subscribers. Students and teachers have access to:
The System firmly believes that the valuable information and interaction available on this worldwide network far outweighs the possibility that users may procure material that is not consistent with the educational goals of the System. Internet access is coordinated through a complex association of government agencies, and regional and state networks.
In addition, the smooth operation of the network relies upon the proper conduct of the end users, who must adhere to strict guidelines. These guidelines are provided here so that you are aware of the responsibilities you are about to acquire. In general, this requires efficient, ethical and legal utilization of the network resources.
If a System user violates any of these provisions, his or her account may be terminated and future access could be denied.
The signature(s) at the end of this document is (are) legally binding and indicates) the party (parties) who signed has (have) read the terms and conditions carefully and understand(s) their significance.
Acceptable Use— The purpose of the backbone networks making up the Internet is to support research and education in and among academic institutions by providing access to unique resources and the opportunity for collaborative work. The use of your access must be in support of education and research and consistent with the educational objectives of the System. Use of another organization’s network or computing resources must comply with the rules appropriate for that network. Transmission of any material in violation of any national or state regulation is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secret.
Privileges— The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of those privileges. (Each student or teacher who receives access will be part of a discussion with a System staff member pertaining to the proper use of the network.) The System Technology Coordinators will deem
what is inappropriate use. Also, the System Technology Coordinators may restrict access at any time as required. The administration, faculty, and staff of the System may request the System Technology Coordinators to deny, revoke, or suspend specific user accounts or access.
The privilege of using the Rhea County Department of Education network comes with the responsibility to verify that usage relates to educational activities, and not for personal gain. Software packages such as Napster, BearShare, Morpheus, or LimeWire, that are designed for filesharing through Gnutella or other networks are strictly prohibited due to the heavy bandwidth drain and high security risk they cause. Downloading music and video files for the purpose of copying via CD burners or Zip drives is also prohibited.
The loading of AOL or similar 3rd party internet access programs on school computers is prohibited as it offers a breach of security while also compromising the Internet filtering software.
Network Etiquette— You are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to. the following:
The System makes no warranty of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service it is providing. The System will not be responsible for any damage you suffer. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions. Use of any information obtained via the Internet is at your own risk. The System specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its services.
Security— Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. If you feel you can
identify a security problem on the Internet, you must notify one of the System Technology Coordinators. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Do not use another individual’s account without written permission from that individual. Attempts to log on to the Internet as a System Technology Coordinator will result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access to school computers.
Vandalism— Vandalism will result in cancellation of computer use privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, Internet, or any of the above-listed agencies or other networks that are connected to any of the Internet backbones. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses. This also includes, but is not limited to, the hardware and software used to access the Internet. Destruction or theft of any part of a computer or network will result in cancellation of privileges, and may carry other consequences.
In the event that an evacuation is necessary due to an accident at Watts Bar Nuclear plant when Rhea County High School is in session, our Rhea County High School students will be evacuated to Soddy Daisy High School by school buses. Rhea County High School Students who drive to school will be allowed to leave the campus by car, but they will be instructed to go to Soddy Daisy High School.